SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Student loan debt accounts for the largest amount of household debt for Americans, aside from mortgages.

A report by Wallethub.com analyzed the average student debt, unemployment rates, and percentages of students with past-due loan balances in all 50 states.

Utah was ranked number one, as the best state for student loan debt while Rhode Island ranked the worst at 51. Massachusetts was ranked 31.

Michael Murdock told 22News he’s is glad he spared some expenses by staying close to home at American International College, but said it will still take some work to pay off his student loans. “Hopefully I can find a good job. Then I can start working and pay off slowly or just have support from my family,” he said.

Tips for minimizing student loan debt include finding a school where you can earn a degree that will increase in value over the years and consider the trade offs of higher tuition and higher quality education.

Total outstanding student loan balances stood at $1.12 trillion as of this past summer, an increase from last year’s balance of $124 billion.